HOPEWELL - If you eat a breakfast bar or opt for pancakes and syrup and then later wash you hair with shampoo there is a good chance that you have used the products made at a large facility operated by Ashland Inc.

The Ashland Specialty Ingredients Hopewell plant is one of the largest cellulose derivative production facilities in the world. What is a cellulose derivative? Simply put it is a water-based thickener that is used in many products from latex paint to medical pills and a host of other consumer products.

Ashland produces specialty chemical solutions such as architectural coatings, labels, food packaging and additives for energy, construction and pharmaceutical brands.